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τὸν ἥλιον ἀνίσχοντα προσκυνοῦσιν ἐλέφαντες, τὰς προβοσκίδας εὐθὺ τῆς ἀκτῖνος ὡς χεῖρας ἀνατείνοντες, [p. 196] ἔνθεν τοι καὶ τῷ θεῷ φιλοῦνται. μάρτυς ἀγαθὸς ὁ Φιλοπάτωρ ἡμῖν Πτολεμαῖος ἔστω. ἡ μὲν κατὰ Ἀντιόχου νίκη σὺν αὐτῷ ἐγένετο, θύων δὲ ἐπινίκια καὶ ἱλεούμενος τὸν Ἥλιον ὁ Πτολεμαῖος τῇ τε ἄλλῃ μεγαλοπρεπῶς ἔθυσεν καὶ οὖν καὶ τέτταρας ἐλέφαντας μεγέθει μεγίστους παρέστησεν ἱερεῖα, ὥς γε ᾤετο, καὶ ταύτῃ τῇ θυσίᾳ γεραίρων ἐκεῖνος τὸ θεῖον. ἐνύπνιον δὲ αὐτὸν διετάραξεν, ὡς ἀπειλοῦντος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀήθει τε καὶ ξένῃ θυσίᾳ: καὶ δείσας ἐκεῖνος χαλκοῦς τέτταρας ποιησάμενος ἀνῆψε τῷ θεῷ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀνῃρημένων ἱλεούμενός τε καὶ εὐμενιζόμενος αὐτόν. ἐλέφαντες μὲν οὖν θεοὺς προσκυνοῦσιν, οἱ δὲ ἄνθρωποι ἆρά γε εἰσὶ θεοὶ καὶ ὄντες εἰ φροντίζουσιν ἡμῶν διαποροῦσιν.
Claudii Aeliani de natura animalium libri xvii, varia historia, epistolae, fragmenta, Vol 1. Aelian. Rudolf Hercher. In Aedibus B.G. Teubneri. Lipsiae. 1864. Keyboarding.
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